How to Stay Motivated During Times of Change and Uncertainty

Organizational and business strategy changes are an integral part of the working world. Revising workflows, modifying strategies and hiring new talent are all necessary adjustments that are parts of the ebb and flow of any successful company. Ultimately, change is the means by which organizations keep up with advancements in technology, variations in the job market and competitors in the industry. In fact, change is indicative of progress, as a stagnant workforce often leads to a decline in creativity, production and innovation.

Although essential, these periods of turnover, change or modification, can have an impact on your production and motivation at work. Here are several considerations for keeping your head up and remaining engaged despite the adjustment(s):

Embrace change

The first step to remaining motivated during times of change is to embrace it. As Dr. Spencer Johnson, author of “An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life” told The Thriving Small Business, so many employees are quick to resist change. Most often this resistance is rooted in fear or anxiety of not knowing what comes next, which is perfectly normal.

As Johnson advised, try to discern the reason behind your organization’s decision to modify a process or bring in new talent. Allow yourself to accept that the board members of your company did not do this to punish you: Understand that the move was most likely intended to improve the company’s bottom line. Moreover, the end result could in fact benefit you personally or professionally in the long run. For some, reaching this point of embracing means asking questions of management. Others will find that focusing on the positive or leaning on fellow peers is what will help them.

Though it won’t happen overnight, changing your mindset to one of embracing rather than shunning can really help with productivity.

Challenge yourself

If you think back to your first day at your new job, you were likely overly eager to dive right in and learn all the ropes of the company right away. After all, that enthusiasm, passion and drive was probably a big part of why you were hired in the first place. Between the lackluster nature of your daily work and the stress of structural change, it’s easy to lose sight of that ambition. While that initial tenacity may be clouded by change, your overall impulse to improve didn’t simply disappear.

One way to break out of the funk and challenge yourself, as well as your fellow coworkers, is to request ongoing employee development and trainings. Citing a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, Forbes contributors Jeffrey J. Selingo and Kevin Simon reported that 87 percent of employees desired continued training throughout the entirety of their career. The response found that workers consider training and development as necessary to progress and to keeping up with the evolving industries and workplaces of today.

Not only will it feel good to learn new skills and enhance your existing areas of expertise, but inquiring about these trainings can demonstrate to your manager that you’re invested in the company as well as furthering yourself in your career.

Focus on what you want out of the job

Have you taken the time recently to truly think about what you want out of your job? What exactly is it that drives you to show up to your desk each day?

Take this time during change or uncertainty at your workplace to think about what inspires you. Then differentiate between the motivators that will bring only immediate and temporary bursts of determination and those that will truly deliver long-term success, explained The Balance. In some instances, you may be looking to be more challenged in your everyday work or maybe you may want more freedom for creativity. Perhaps it is simply that you yearn for recognition every once in a while. The key is to determine the one thing that will bring you long-term satisfaction in your role.

Once you know what that is, you can move forward in finding the resources that you need to reach your full potential.

By choosing to embrace change, challenge yourself and find your focus, you’ll be highly driven and motivated every day of the year.